The present invention is directed to a setting device for driving fastening elements such as nails, bolts and pins into a substrate, with a setting mechanism comprising a driving piston displaceable in a guide, and an electronic monitoring device for monitoring the status of the setting device, wherein at least one sensor array is arranged at the guide for generating a measurement data pattern that can be evaluated by the monitoring device. The invention is also directed to a method for detecting wear in wearing parts of a combustion-operated setting device. Setting devices of this kind, particularly combustion-operated setting devices or setting devices operating on compressed air, are used to drive fastening elements into a substrate.
In general, it is desirable in setting devices of this type to make the setting device as user-friendly as possible.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,123,241 discloses a combustion-operated setting device with a monitoring system by which the user is alerted when servicing or maintenance repairs must be carried out on the setting device. For this purpose, the monitoring system has a microprocessor which is connected to a magazine contents sensor at the fastener magazine and to a jam detector for fasteners in the setting device. The jam detector can comprise a transmitter and a receiver which responds to an electrically conducting fastener.
It is, however, disadvantageous in this known solution that wear cannot be detected in wearing parts such as the piston guide, the pin guide, the driving piston or the like. Further, the jam detector can detect the presence of a fastener jam only quantitatively, but cannot determine qualitatively the kind of jam.